


In the Meadow We Can

by katmarajade



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Harry Potter Next Generation, Hogwarts, Letters, Presents, Secret Admirer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-16
Updated: 2014-03-16
Packaged: 2018-01-16 00:02:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1324192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katmarajade/pseuds/katmarajade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Roxanne starts getting the strangest things in the post, including lumps of coal and a carrot.  Just when she thought the week couldn't get any weirder, Scorpius Malfoy says he wants to build a snowman with her.  It's pretty much the last thing in the world she could have expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In the Meadow We Can

On Monday morning, as Roxanne sat amidst her fellow seventh years eating toast with jam and debating whether or not she wanted eggs, the post came. There was nothing unusual about that, and the fluttering flurry of owls sweeping through the Great Hall and delivering their letters and parcels was nothing surprising. However, the oddly shaped package that was dropped on Roxanne's crumb-covered plate was definitely _not_ expected.

Her cousin Albus was across the table and gave her a questioning smile. "From home?"

"Doubtful," she said, unwrapping the heavily spellotaped brown paper. "Mum and Dad are lousy at writing letters and Dad would never send me a present—he thinks watching the reaction is the best part. And Mum just really hates owls." She was rambling, more for something to pass the time as she dug through the fifth layer of tape.

"Ha!" she exclaimed as the paper finally unfolded. Her grin faded as the contents were revealed. She picked up one piece of black rock and examined it carefully.

"Is that coal?" Albus asked. "Wow, you must have been really bad this year if Santa's getting an early start!" He laughed but shut up quickly when she shot him an evil glare. Roxanne wrapped the five pieces of shiny black coal back in the brown paper, slammed down the rest of her tea, and left for class.

On Tuesday, Roxanne watched the owls as they dipped near to the Gryffindor table. When another package was dropped in front of her, narrowly missing her egg cup, she was not sure what to think. Too curious not to open it, she tore through the paper to find two large blue buttons. She turned them over, looking closely but finding nothing to indicate why someone had sent her _buttons_ of all things.

Wednesday was met with a wary eye and a third, much larger parcel. _What in Merlin's name is going on_ she thought to herself. Three layers of spellotape later she discovered a hat, a slightly worn, mildly crooked, black top hat. Albus laughed at that and tried it on, making silly faces and annoying her until Roxanne managed to snatch back her pointless present and storm off to Charms.

By Thursday she had had enough! No more packages! She ate as quickly as she could, hoping to escape before the post owls appeared. She almost made it, but was intercepted at the door by an irritable, molting barn owl and a pointy looking package. She stuffed it in her bag and continued through the doors, into the hallway, up the curving stairs, towards the Astronomy tower, over the missing step on the swinging staircase, into the corridor lined with statues … and she couldn't take it anymore. She mentally cursed her father, who was unquestionably to blame for her genetic inability to suppress her curiosity. If she'd have been born a cat she'd have died long, long ago—even taking into account the nine lives! She fished out the latest package and tore through the packaging and found herself looking at a long, very fresh looking carrot.

"Coal, buttons, and now carrots? What kind of crazy game is this?" Annoyed at both the stupid root vegetable taking up valuable bag space and her own Pandora-level need to know everything, she growled at the statue of Barnabus the Bulbuous (and thought she might have seen him roll his stone eyes at her) and kept walking.

Friday dawned darker than usual, and she watched the skies from her bed in cosy Gryffindor tower as they swirled with heavy storm clouds. Roxanne was sure that if she only had time to go outside it would smell like snow. Sure enough, just as she was getting ready to head down to breakfast, the first flakes began to fly. The promise of freshly fallen snow distracted her enough to forget about the crazy post gifts until the owls arrived. This morning's offering was soft and squishy in its familiar brown paper and she didn't bother pretending not to want to know what was inside.

"Oh!" she gasped as the paper folded away to reveal a beautifully knit scarf in Christmas colours. The red and green stripes were thick, and there were thin, glittering strands of silver and gold woven throughout. She fingered a green tassle and smiled. Now, _this_ was a proper gift. As she lifted the scarf out of the package, a small note fell from the fabric's folds.

> Dear Roxanne,  
>  It's almost Christmas and it's time to tell the truth. The truth is, I think you are incredible. Your smile lights up any room and you have the most amazing laugh I have ever heard. I only wish you would give me a chance to make you laugh, or even just smile. I know how things work and I know you wouldn't think to give me the time of day, but I hope that for once, just because it's Christmas and at Christmas you're supposed to be charitable, you will give me a chance. Just one hour. Please. Meet me outside on the hill near the pumpkin patch tomorrow morning at 10:00. Dress warmly and bring all your presents. We'll need them! I hope you have enough Gryffindor courage to come. Merry Christmas, Roxanne.
> 
> Yours very truly,  
> 

She turned the paper over looking for a signature but there was none. Letting out a huff of self-deprecating laughter, she thought that this mystery person knew her pretty well, even if she didn't know him. There was no way a person as innately curious and fiercely competitive as she was could say no to something like this, especially when her vaunted Gryffindor bravery was called into question. She would be there, no matter how obvious the dare was or how unwise it might be.

The next morning she donned her boots, coat, hat, and mittens before wrapping her new scarf snugly around her neck. Halfway out the door, she paused and ran back to put on just a touch of lip gloss—it couldn't hurt to look her best, even if he was a troll. She carried the coal, buttons, hat, and carrot in a small bag and crunched through the freshly fallen snow. It had snowed until late the night before and the untouched mantle of white shone beautifully in the morning sun.

Up on the hill, she spied a figure. He turned as she approached and her eyes nearly bugged out in surprise.

"Malfoy?"

"Roxanne," he said pleasantly. "Good morning. I'm so pleased you've come."

"You're the one who's been sending me ridiculous crap all week? Although, I have to say, the Christmas scarf is quite lovely."

"You know it's not really meant to be a Christmas scarf, though you're right—it does look festive. It's Gryffindor and Slytherin colours. Together they're pretty good, don't you think?"

Roxanne raised an eyebrow but remained silent as she examined her scarf in a new light.

"Besides, we'll need all of those things I sent you today. We are going to make the world's best snowman."

Roxanne's eyes narrowed as she tried to ascertain if he was serious. "You want to make a snowman with me? You went through all that trouble to make a bloody snowman?"

"To make a bloody snowman _with you_ ," he clarified, offering her a bright smile. She had to shake her head but couldn't help the smile yanking on the corners of her mouth.

"Fine, but it's going to be a snow _woman_ , thank you very much."

Scorpius shrugged, looking pleased. They began the process of smashing snow together and making the body of a snow woman, grunting with exertion as the sections became heavy very quickly due to the wet snow.

"We should work together and shove these down the hill. Then gravity will do all the work and we'll just make her down there instead," Scorpius suggested.

Roxanne grinned. "Okay, but let's race. Whoever's section is bigger when it reaches the bottom wins."

"Wins what?"

"I don't know," she said with exasperation. "Just wins!"

Scorpius shook his head but agreed and they chased their snowballs down the hill, laughing and tumbling as they went. Roxanne could feel Scorpius' eyes on her and his smile was wider than she'd ever seen it. Maybe, she thought, just maybe they _both_ might end up winners here. 


End file.
